Palacios

I’m not exactly sure why my friend Dustin Sisk loves Palacios, Texas as much as he does. Maybe it’s the Victorian style homes that are in need of restoration, the mountain of fajitas for nine dollars at Palacios Mexican Restaurant, or that Palacios is the shrimp capital of Texas. It can’t be Buttermilk slough. This is a secluded marsh in Palacios with limited access and a healthy population of redfish. It is a little too muddy and turbid for my preference. Sight-casting has to be done to whatever exposed body parts and wakes may appear, and most of the marsh is difficult to wade. I’ve been here twice now and though the fajitas were awesome, I’d like to end my making of fond memories of this forsaken place here.
I’m stilled trying to get accustom to shooting photos as much as I fish, and I'm slowly becoming better acquainted with my Nikon D70. My new Pelican 1450 case with padded, velcro adjustable dividers has made it a lot easier to keep my equipment dry and accessible. I did manage to pick up the camera and not the fly rod once. That’s a start.

Tiny

So, here is a little fly rod I just turned on the lathe. My Uncle Wayne in Oregon requested a tiny reel and fly rod be made for a neighbor of his. They both live on a small private lake inhabited by fat little rainbow trout. Here, this mini rod sits next to a 6 weight for comparison. It's not the absolute smallest rod blank to do this on but this 6 foot, 3 weight St. Croix, Avid will work just fine. [Downlocking nickel silver butt cap and aluminum slide ring. J. Austin Forbes 2" diameter fly reel]

The Beginning

I have made a commitment to do more fishing this fall 2009 and to write about it (...and all things related).
I've been busy getting organized by tying more leaders, cataloging my multitude of fly lines, getting rods and reels repaired, tying flies, and preparing the watercraft. Everything is on track except the budget. So, I've got to build some rods and sell some other stuff to catch up. I'm returning to Palacios this weekend even though this is not the kind of fly fishing trip I am truly focusing on. I have the first X-trip planned for early September. I want to bring two other fly guys to keep it interesting and the camera rolling. No, not video. The family video camera is in Chile until November. I can only promise still shots. I'll tell you later what X stands for, or you can figure it out.